Slider for separable fasteners



Patented Jan. 20, 1942v SLIDER FOR SEPARABLE FASTENERS Delbert Gilmore,Erie, Pa., assignor'to Talon,

Inc., Meadville, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application July 15,1940,`seria1 No. 345,470 j s claims.' (Cl. :a4-205.5)

My invention relates to slide fasteners of the type wherein rows offastener elements are mounted on a pair of tapes and a slider embracesthe rows of fastener members and slides along them for engaging anddisengaging the fastener members.

More particularly my invention relates to an improved sliderconstruction for such fasteners wherein the slider may be locked inplace at the "desired position on the rows of fastener members.

It is an object of my invention to provide an -improved lock sliderconstruction which shall be as thin as possible and substantially devoidof any projections on its outer surfaces such as lugs or loops which areoften provided for attachingpull tabs an-d locking devices.

My invention provides a slider which can be very securely locked in anydesired position in -which the locking device is not likely to becomea-ccidentally disengaged. At the same time, there are no projecting lugsor other projections above the top surface of -the slider and allobjection- Y able long pins. on the pull tab have been avoided.

In addition to the advantages of appearance, compactness, durability andreliability in operation, other objects and advantages of my inventionwill hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawing I haveshown for purposes of illustration oneembodiment and two modifications thereof which my invention may assumein practice. In the drawing: y

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a small section of slide fastenerequipped with my improved slider;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central cross-section through the sliderdetached from the fastener;

' Fig 3 is a perspective view showing three parts of the sliderdisconnected:

f bottom end of the slider.

wings with the outwardly flaring flanges and the neck I4 form aninterior channel of generally Y-shape and the fastener elements of theseparated fastener feed through the diverging branches of the sliderchannel and come together at about the central or crotch' portion of theY, interengage and feed out through the narrow or The neck I4 is hereinshown as projecting above the slider somewhat more than is usual and hasa central vertical slot I5 extending therethrough and as a continuationof this slot there is an opening or slot I6 in the upper wing of theslider which extends a substantial distance .beyond the neck, that is,to

the crotch of the Y-shaped channel. A pull tab II has a lug or web I8adapted to fit into the slot I5 and a pivot pin I9 extends throughsuitable aligned openings 20 in the slider neck I4 and in the pull tabtol furnish a pivotal connection of thepull tab to the slider. It willbe observed that the pivotal axis is between the planes of the outersurfaces of the slider wings and that the wings are flat because theyare devoid of any upstanding projections, loops, etc.,/ which are foundin sliders now on the market. The slider body, and if desired, alsov thepull tab, are of such shape as to lend themselves to easy manufactureslider channel. This projection extends a sub- Fig. 4 isfa cross-sectionon line 3*-3 of Fig. .2

showin-g the fastener members in position in the slider and showing amodication;

Fig. 5 is a side view of a portion of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a central vertical section through the slider with the lockingmember ln unlocked position;

Fig. 'I is a similar sectional view showing -a modified form #andwith'the'locking member in locked position. v

The slide fastener with which I have shown. my invention is of afamiliar type involving a pair of fabric tapes 8, 9 having attached totheir adjacent edges the rows of fastener members l0k- 'I'he tapes haveattached thereto suitable-stopv members including a bottom stop II/ andthey are engaged and disengaged by movementjof av 55.

' tates movement of the slider along them `in a familiar manner. *Thestantial'distance toward the narrow end of the lsliderlvfrom the neck I4thus entering between the rows of fastener ,members I0 as best seen inFig. 4, and because it extends to Ithe crotch of'l the Y-shaped Ichannel it will block the passage of the fastener members through thediverging branches of the slider channel and thus cause the slider to belocked in any tab is swung flat against Fig. 2. It will be noted thatthe locationiof the pivotal axis of'the pull the win-gs or neck andbetween the planes of the wings, as distinguished from its usuallocatibn onaI lug which'projects from one wing, facilirelatively longerlocking opening in the slider and lbetween the fastener members. This isdue to the fact that the arc movement of the forward end of the lockingprojection is more nearly vertical Vwith rpect to the slider as it movesinto and out of locking position.

The exact lengthwise with respect to the slider body may position wherethe pull projection through the mw neck construction I4. 'I'he twoparallel 60 be determined by experiment andwlll vary to the slider, asshown inv tab at the rear end of place of the locking projection someextent depending upon the particular configuration of the slider and theshape of the substantially vertical position; -This facilitatesoperation of theslider especially .when being pushed downwardly. Insliders lof this type the fastener is opened by a pushing or shovelforce applied tothe pull tab as distinguished from a tension applied tothe narrow end as in some prising two rowsI of fastener members, aslider In some cases it is desirable'to provide a locking device whichwill spring automatically into operation without pushing by the user. Toaccomplish this purpose any convenient spring may be employed such as -acoil spring 24 around the pivot pin I9.

It will be observed that the neck I4 extends a substantial distance intorthe wings and thus the strength of vthe slider is not for many purposestoo greatly affected by cutting the central slot, as shown in Figs. 2, 3and 4. In cases, however, where it is desiredl to have greater in thisslot so as to provide a central'portion 25 of the neck integral with theupper wing as well vas the lower wing. In this case the lockingprojection 26 instead of being formed as an',integra`l extension of thepivot lug 21. lsvformed asa separate projection extending throughvacentrally aligned opening. The locking principle is substantially thesame.

'I'he principle of locking employed which, so fa asl Iv amaware, is new,comprises means which in effect extendv the length of the wedge or neck4 structure to a point where the, fastener members cannot move by., -Itis believed that this type of locking member will be especially-advantageous in very small size fasteners or fasteners ofplasticmaterial where it is difllcult to get a proper locking engagementbetween the fastener members themselves. Itis, of course, to beunderstood that the interlocking portionsv of the fastener ceptablefastener and for that reason there'is no room for any locking projectionbetween the heads of the fastener members and the opposite tape. In verysmall fasteners, the locking pin in accordance with former lock sliderconstructions must be relatively short and the locking effect istherefore notso reliable. Furthermore, in the case of light weight pulltabs as `in small fasteners, my invention obviates all tendency for thelockingl pull t kick out of place because the long `'locking projectionextending across the depth of the slider channel provides a very securelocking engagement. t v

Another advantage which may be mentioned is that a relatively thinnerpull tab may beV made which will lie thin and-flat lagainstthe sliderwithout any obstruction thus producing a streamline effect.. IfLdesired,thepull tab can be extended to cover the slider thus further enhanclngthe appearance, and various decorative designs are also possible. Theweb on the pull tab strength as shown in Fig. 7 there may be a break Yin the preferred embodiment provides an excellent straightening elementfor such pull tabs when made of thin material. e

While I have shown and described one preferred embodiment and twomodications thereoffwhich my invention may assume in practice,` it

will be understood that this embodiment and the movable alongsaid rowsof. fastener members for engaging and disengaging the same, said slidercomprising wings on opposite sides of the fastener member, a neckuniting said wings at one end,

said-slider defining a Y-shaped channel with dl.

verging branches on opposite sides of said neck, a pullrtab pivoted tothe slider adjacent the neck which may be positioned at against ytheouter surface of one wing or swung upwardly toward a vertical positionwlthrespect to the slider, such wingghaving` a centrally disposedopening therethrough at the crotchA of the Y and a centrally located lugon said pull tab which, when the pull tab is 'at against the slider,extends through l said opening substantially Aacross the depth of ltheslider channel at the crotch of the Y and between two rows of fastenermembers therein to prevent engagement of the fastener members andk thuscause locking of the slider, said locking lug being movable out oflocking position when the pull tab is lifted tol move the slider, thepivotal connecting means for the pull tab being located between theplanes pf the outer surfaces 0f said '50 members are quite short in anycommercially acslider wings. I

2. Aslider for slide fasteners of the class de stantially Y-shapedchannel between the wings,

said neck. and adjacent portions of the wing being provided with alongitudinally extending slot extending a substantial distance beyondthe neck, a locking member pivotally mounted on-the slider neck andhaving an inwardly projecting lug which extends through said slot beyondthe neck to block the slider channel where the diverging branches of theY-shaped channel meet, the pivotal connecting meam for the lockingmember being located between the planes of the outer surfaces of saidwings.'

3. `A slider for slide fasteners of the class described comprisingparallel overlying wings connected-by a neck atene endj and dening asubstantially Y-shaped channel between the wings,-

'- depending pivot lug'tting in the slotted neck,

and means for pivotally'connecting the same thereto, and a projectionformed as an integral continuation of said lug and movable through theslot in the wing into position between twov rows of fastener members inthe crotch portion of the slider channel to block their movement in theslider at the point where the fastener elements intermesh.

DELBERT B. GILMORE.

